Starbucks to serve booze, bar bites in select markets

If you like to start your morning inside of Starbucks with your first cuppa ‘jo, you may someday find yourself putting on your night cap there as well. The Seattle-born coffee empire is testing alcohol sales in select metro markets with the new Starbucks Evenings program.

The post-4 p.m. program rolls out an entirely new menu featuring bar bites like bacon-wrapped dates and truffle mac and cheese, as well as a wine and beer options. About 40 locations in the Seattle, Chicago, Portland, Los Angeles, and Atlanta areas already offer the service, but there are plans to add “thousands of stores” over a several year rollout, Starbucks Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead told Bloomberg.

“We’ve tested it long enough in enough markets — this is a program that works,” he said, also noting that Starbucks’ trial runs proved success in “urban areas, near other restaurants and theaters, where people are out at night.”

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Sounds perfect for Boston, right? We reached out to Starbucks and a spokesperson for the brand dashed our dreams with this stabbing statement: “At this time we have no immediate plans to expand the program to stores in the Boston area.” Sad face.

At least you can soothe yourself with a nice cup of Oprah chai instead.